Fading Light (RuvikxOC)
by Leuchten
Summary: Helen has just resumed her job as a Detective in Krimson City after being gone for more than 2 years. What greets her is a case that has much much more to it than it at first seems and partners in a team that could be best described as a total disaster.With little to no clues, Helen has a lot more to worry about than dealing w/ her smartass Albino partner or finding a new apartment
1. Prologue - Dirty Work

*****Don't be scared of this lengthy prologue! SKIP IT IF U MUST (it is kinda optional)- _The main characters show up in the next Chapter of this story!_*****

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><p>Sally shivered. The cold morning air was cutting through the thin coat she wore and brushing against her slim physique. She'd had forgotten to put on a shawl and left in a hurry when 'He' had finally answered her calls half an hour ago.<br>Hadn't been too excited by her call. In fact, he had sounded most displeased. Not that Sally had cared about that back then- she was desperate. She needed it. Badly.

Her heels clicked on the icy asphalt as she entered the subway passage they had agreed on as their meeting point. He was already there. A dark figure leaning against the chalked walls of the tunnel, unmoving and silent, like the rest of the town at this early hour.

It was 4:30am and they were alone.

Her eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area. Puddles of water dotted the ground, edges frozen overnight. The floor was littered with waste, wrappings of edibles, discarded trash, a single childrens glove. The usual, one might have said. What really mattered to her, though, was the man leaning against the moist concrete and so she made her way around the various obstacles, hastily closing the distance between them before she came to a halt in front of him. Her gaze upon the darkness that was his face.

Then, „God damn, are there any places worse than this one to sell that shit?", she murmured under her breath, nervously. A split second after she had said it a rough, annoyed voice was heard, echoing from the chalkstone walls: „The cops don't check here often, Princess. You know a better place for future meetings- you tell me, I am all ears! "

She squinted her eyes and stared into the darkness.

That had to be the guy people had told her about. The new one.

Fixxer.

An uncommon nickname. Even moreso, for a drug dealer…

The young man, whose question undoubtedly wasn't fishing for an answer of hers, stood in the middle of the tunnel, leaning against the cold wall. She watched him, as he slowly raised a hand to tug on the shield of his dark baseball cap, pulling it deeper down into his face. A black scarf covered mouth and nose and she was unable to make out his eyes in the dark.

„Got the cash? ", he asked. The words, muffled by the thick scarf, barely reached her ears.

This was the moment she had been dreading the whole time. No. She did not have the cash. Still, she had come here and she did not plan to leave empty handed.

"No money, no deal, dolly. Don't tell me you made me come all the way here at this ungodly hour for nothing." He was getting impatient.

No money, no deal. How often had she heard those words, and how often had she proven the ones that had spoken them wrong. There were other ways to pay a debt. She was a woman- he was a man. And at the end of the day, all men were the same.

Chapped lips slightly parted, moist with saliva. She tilted her head and stepped even closer.

„Hey, please…. I don't have that much, really!", a nervous smile appeared on her face," Can't I pay you back…in rates? Or maybe…something else? Yes, yes! Let me pay with something else…. ", shaky fingers crawled down the seams of his jacket and to the hem of his pants, tugging on the belt, „I could do something…for you….something nice…"

Loud noise boomed through the subway when a car drove towards the tunnel they both stood in.

The front lights only brushed past them for a second as it drove by but the light was enough to reveal his facial expression to her.

He looked down on the girl, eyes piercing, ice cold and full of disgust.

She didn't think too much about it-didn't want to think about it, maybe he was just one of the slow type. Maybe….

Her hands moved up again, to his neck, while she pressed her freezing, shaking body against his unmoving form.

Shaking, from the cold and from the withdrawal.

He was nothing like the men she preferred, but that didn't matter. It was not the first time she paid for her drugs in this way. And she needed a fix.

Fucking desperately.

Just as she was about to wrap her arms around him, considering herself victorious in her efforts, he sighed and roughly shoved her away. Dumbfounded, she stood there, while he pulled back the arm he had shoved her with to brush off his jacket in a demonstrative gesture. Like brushing off dirt.

„That's not how it's going to be, ok? Not today, not tomorrow, ok, is that clear, you cheap bag o'bones? Lemme see how much you have and let's get this over with! "

Frustration. Anger. Desperation. All of these flooded Sally's mind now, mixed with the pain in her limbs and the embarrassment of being rejected by this man.

"Seventeen." Her voice was a mere whisper but still loud enough for him to hear.

Laughter echoed through the tunnel. It climbed up the walls, came back, washed over them in waves, hollow and vibrating, as they stood in the middle of the underpass, face to face.

It sent chills down her spine. Yes, she had come bare. Seventeen Dollar was nothing. It wouldn't have gotten her anything and she had known it.

Fixxer had leaned on the damp wall this whole time. He took a step away from it and straightened his back. He was big now, bigger than he had looked before.

Bigger and a lot more intimidating.

Sally took a step back, nervously, and inhaled deeply. „So what now… ", she pat out the words, not daring to look at him. This was his fault. He could have taken on her offer. But no, he had to refuse and now both oft hem had come here just to leave again with unfinished buisness. Yes, this was all his fault.

She wouldn't have called him anyways if her other ‚friends' had answered her calls. Who was this guy even, thinking he was too good for her…

„Of course I could just send you home now - the more important question is: ‚Can you even make it there?' which I highly doubt when looking at you, kiddo…. "

The smile on his face, invisible to her, vanished as soon as it had appeared.  
>She was ripe. Desperate, hungry, barely standing from what he saw.<p>

Perfect.

Silence. Weeping. In the darkness of the lonely subway Sally had started to cry.

This had already taken way too long.

Time was the last thing he had. And he knew pretty well that she didn't have time either. She was desperate and she needed something now to get her desolate body back in working condition.

All things summed up it was perfect. She was perfect.

Sure, he was disgusted by her very being- but all in all it couldn't have been going any better for him.

„Listen…I can't give you anything for less…. 'specially not for what little you got right there. Ya know…I have to look out for myself too, kid. So, why don't you try a little something else…just for now? "

He dug his hand into his pocket like before, only this time when he took it out again he was holding something.

Sally blinked a few times, unsure, then looked at what was between his fingers. A small blister pack filled with white, elongated capsules.

Her eyes widened. First with shock, then with suspicion.

„W-what is that? "

„Light. Don't know it yet, huh? Didn't think so, it's completely new. Quite hard to find but cheap in price as it hasn't established itself on the ‚market' yet. "

He held the package, which contained only four capsules, under his nostrils as if he was trying to inhale some kind of sweet scent.

It crackled promisingly between his fingers and from the corner of his eye he could see her following his every move, like hypnotized.

„This stuff is good. Better than Acid or LSD and probably also better than Heroin or Meth. Of course, nothing you would know. Anyways…", he brought the blister pack right in front of her face; „this is your lucky day, babe, because I have a whole bunch of these little fellas in my pocket. So, want some, or not? "

Sally hesitated.

She had never tried anything else than Acid, Heroin or Meth before. More importantly, she had no idea what this stuff was going to do to her.

And the number one question was still: what would it cost her?

„What exactly does it do, if it's so much better than all the other ones? "

A smile found its way around the corners of Fixxer's mouth and he simply shrugged while he stretched out his arms, fully aware of the fact that Sally's stare was fixed upon the little object in his hand.

She was hooked.

And all that was left to do was to pull in the line now.

„Find out for yourself, kiddo! But let me tell you this: These little guys will give you their very own special trip. 100% unique. No other drug can do this. It's….as if you throw in Meth, LSD, H and what have you in AT ONCE. Just, let's say…less deadly!"

His grin grew even wider at his last words, almost getting lewd in its intensity.

He licked his lips while he waited for her answer, then he thought of something and hastily added: „And all of that….for the unbelievably low amount of 5 Dollar…! "

Eyes full of doubt Sally stared at him, „5 Dollar? "

She might have been naive and a little, no, a lot more desperate than usually, but not stupid.

Five Dollar. The price was indeed unbelievable. Ridiculous even, for a drug that was supposed to be so overwhelming in its effect. It just had to be a testing price.

Yes, it couldn't be any other way. She was sure of it.

Depending on how fast Sally- and who knows how many others- would physically get addicted to this one and how fast the drug would get accepted as a staple on the local market, he would sell it to her at this low price for a few times. Then higher and higher like everything else.

That's how it always went. And that was where it came down to the same strategy that all the dealers used. No one was giving things away for free here.

She sighed and watched the white fog of her breath disappearing into the air around her. It was still cold and she wrapped her coat tighter around her frail body.

If she wanted to get through the day without any worse symptoms of withdrawal than the ones she was experiencing already she had no choice but to take on his offer.

It was the only thing she was able to pay for today and also the only thing he was offering her.

And if these things where as good as he claimed them to be….well then her money was more or less well invested at least.

For today. It wasn't like she could expect more than that right now.  
>Might as well take what you can get.<p>

A last sigh, then: „Alright, I'll take them…"

Capsules and money changed owners in the darkness of the subway.  
>The girl stared at the unknown capsules in her hand while Fixxer slipped the money into the back pocket of his jeans.<p>

Baited, lured and finally, trapped. It had almost been too easy. Like child splay.

Only one more thing to check off the list…

„Alright, princess! You have fun with your majestic meal and I am on my way!", he turned around, ready to leave as she grabbed his arm: "H-hey wait a second! How am I supposed to…you know…take these?"

„Oh, right!, he snapped his fingers and came to a halt, „Almost forgot about that…"

God, this had been taking so long already- but the girl was right, it WAS important that she knew how to take them. He had almost messed up- good thing she wasn't THAT far gone yet.

„It'd be best you just swallow them as they are. You know, without water! If you can't do that take a sip afterwards to get them down your throat- but not too much. Make sure you don't bite on them or anything- you don't want these to open in your mouth, you really don't. Trust me. Else they won't work, ok, got that memorized, kid? "

Sally nodded carefully, while her fingers played with the package, „I think so…"

„Good, good. I can leave you alone now, right?! Don't party too hard- those aren't gummy bears ok?"

He could barely stifle a yawn to keep up his credibility.

Sure, the job had been easy, but annoying as hell too. One way or another, this had been the last package and he wouldn't play the idiot and do boring work like this for Doyle again so soon.

Doyle, that bastard.  
>That filthy rich bastard, who paid him absurdly well for things like this.<p>

In the meantime he had turned around and left the underpass behind him, hands dug deeply into his pockets.

Twenty meters distance, then fifty.

When he was sure that she wasn't following him and long out of earshot he pulled out a small, black mobile phone. Fixxer dialed the only number that was saved in the contact list and pressed it against his ear.


	2. Chapter 1: With gritted Teeth

The large double doors of the Krimson City Police Department swung open with a faint creak. Helen remembered the sound from two years ago- it had been the same noise when she had left, thinking she might never come back to this place.

Luckily for her, she had been wrong. The soles of her shoes clicked on the tiled floor as she passed the reception desk in the rather small entrance area of the edifice. Pin boards with missing posters, newspaper clippings and other documents were strewn over the walls. This city certainly had a lot going on. Lots of work for the people that had sworn to protect its inhabitants.  
>She was now, once again, one of them and she had already promised to herself that she would do whatever it may cost, not to fail at it this time.<p>

Fake marble and sparsely decorated walls were left behind as the young Detective entered the already waiting elevator. She knew where she was headed and so it didn't take her long to find and push the right button that would set the lift in motion.

Third floor. Fifth door on the right. That was where she would meet up with her new team. New and old in a way. One of the names was all too well known to her.  
>The other one did not fit to any face she remembered from back then.<br>Sergeant Detective Castellanos was an old hand on the job. His no-shit-policy was just as well-known as his miraculous ascend of the ranks up to where he was now.  
>From a simple officer to being one of the most admired Detectives in Krimson City. And at his age.<p>

But then again. Here she was, also a Detective, too young almost to call herself that. And still – she took pride in what she was doing no matter what people might have been talking behind her back. And they sure as hell did.  
>She gave the cardboard box in her hands a light shake. Under notebooks, files and a few other objects, her police badge slid in sight. The cold metal still looked freshly polished and shone in the cold neon light. Krimson City Police Department. Serve and Protect. A faint smile crept upon her lips and quickly mixed with a hint of bitterness in her eyes. Back then….<p>

'What would I give to turn back time. Just once.'

Helen was pulled back into reality as the elevators door opened with a 'ping' noise.  
>The smell of dust, sweat and paper welcomed her and brought another wave of déjà vu with it.<br>She loved it, had missed it dearly in those two years. Helen perked her ears while she inhaled deeply to savor the moment of coming back 'home'. Voices and the sounds of fingers, swiftly dancing over keys, came from behind closed doors. People were already working on countless bigger or smaller cases at this time of the day. Lots of paperwork had to be done, lab results had to be examined and analyzed, people had to be questioned and information was to be gathered.  
>Again, a smile spread across Helen's face- only this time it stayed as she hugged the box in her arms a little tighter in pleasant anticipation of her new colleagues and the work they would do together.<p>

Counting the doors to her right side she made her way across the lengthy corridor and knocked on the fifth one.

No response.

Helen waited a moment, unsure of what to do now. She turned her head left and right but no help was in sight. "Trying once more won't hurt, I guess.", she said to herself and raised a hand to do so but instead, just stared at her own fingers.

'So pale. I should have gotten a tan this summer. People will think I just stepped out of Dracula's Mansion like this.'

The woman shook her head and knocked a second time. Louder. 'Silly, who cares what you look like as long as you're good at your job? I'll show them- just they wait and see. Hah- '  
>Still no response.<p>

"Hello?" White fingers wrapped around the handle and pulled it down in an attempt to open the door. To no avail- it was locked.

Now, slightly unnerved, Helen stared the floor up and down in search of someone to help her. Maybe she was on the wrong floor? No, the sign beside the elevator clearly stated that this was indeed the third floor. She counted the doors. "Am I being dumb or…this IS the fifth door! Oh, come on…!"  
>The young Detective set the box containing her belongings on the ground and stomped to one of the many doors that emitted sounds of working people. She knocked firmly and opened the door before someone could answer. "Hey—"<br>Heads turned to face the sudden intruder.  
>Tipping noises and talking stopped, now all attention lay on the person standing in the doorframe.<br>"Uh…I…Good morning! Excuse me for interrupting your work like this but I am Junior Detective Helen Saul and I am looking for Sergeant Detective Castellanos. I was told to meet him and his partner in his office today but the door is locked…" The words spilled from her mouth like water from a fountain at first but got smaller and quieter by the second as she noticed a sudden shift in the room's atmosphere.

'Did I say something wrong…?'

Upon mentioning the name of her new team chef the others had turned their heads around again, resuming whatever they had done before as if nothing had happened at all.  
>"Oh…kay…?", Helen furrowed her brows questioningly at the sight of this behavior. She was about to retreat and close the door as one of the men cleared his throat. "The Detective and his…<em>partner<em> have just left to inspect a crime scene. The call came earlier this morning and so they went directly there. You might have more luck down at the reception if you want to find out where they are. Or you just wait… but god knows when they will be back."  
>With that said, he, too, turned his back on her.<p>

For a moment she just stood there, baffled. Did they forget her? Had she been supposed to know where they went? And what kind of team was she about to join that made people react so strangely? 'What a nice way to start off on my first day…', she thought to herself cynically, closing the door after slipping in a halfhearted 'Thank you'.

Now, what to do?

The victim was lying on one of the grassy areas of the park, that were used as playing and picnic grounds in summer and spring. Had it not been for the man, who passed by in the early hours of the morning, she would have stayed unnoticed for maybe another day or two.

Sebastian was standing a good twenty meters away, a cigarette between his fingers and chipping off some ash, as he talked to the young officer, who had helped securing the area before he arrived.  
>"Young, maybe in her early twenties, the man thought she was a sleeping drunk at first but then he turned her around…."<p>

"Bet he wished he didn't do that…Did he see someone else nearby?"

"No, said he was all alone and immediately called the cops. Guy was still shaking when we arrived here. We got his name and address from his papers so we sent him home. After we noted down what he had to say, of course." The cop waited for a second as the detective took a last pull on his cigarette before throwing it on the ground and stepping on it. Ashes smeared across the asphalt and left a grey line in the dirt. "Uh, your partner, I am not sure if he should…" he gestured into the direction of the victims body, "I am not sure if he should touch the body that much. Is he…?"

A frown appeared on the Detectives face as his eyes followed the officers motioning. The young man kneeling beside the deceased female was not an official member of the KCPD. And much less did Seb consider him as his 'partner'.  
>It had been probably a month ago when all of this started. And maybe a few days after that HE had appeared. No explanations as to how he had magically convinced the higher ups to allow him in on the investigation. Surely just another fucked up trick involving messing with other peoples minds. Sebastian still hated him for what had happened a year ago and if he had been sure to get away with it - he would have killed this man on the spot, when he had suddenly stood in the doorframe of his office, that day.<p>

_He_ had taken interest in the case. Had said it was of personal importance to find out what was going on.  
>Not a word about how he found out about the case. He was there, just like that, and Sebastian had had to accept his presence.<p>

"I'll go check up on that. You stay here and keep any unwanted spectators at bay.", he turned and hesitated for a second, then he added, "Good work, Officer uh-"  
>"Neilson!"<br>"Yeah, good work, Neilson."

With gritted teeth, he bent down to slip through under the police line and made his way over the wet grass.

Sickly pale hands ran over the victim's skull. Searching for something, a small cut, an indentation, a scar, anything. The young man's bony fingers ran over blood smeared skin and his purple tinted eyes inspected swollen tongue and blood-crusted teeth.

The dead woman on the ground was white, young, malnutritioned. Messy and unkempt hair was covering half of her face, hiding bruises and too much make up. A thin coat wrapped around the slim, painfully arched figure. Too thin to give shelter from the rough winter air, it might as well have been thrown on in a hurry. Her whole appaearance left no doubt about her lifestyle. She had been looking for something to 'ease the pain' as some might have called it. The face was caught in an expression of surprise, maybe fear. Eyes wide open in shock. Blood, already thick and dry, covering nostrils, mouth and ears. Hands clawing at mud and grass, stained with more dried blood and what seemed like littleclumps of dirt and something else... A few strands of hair, her own, tangled between the frozen fingers, told a story of what might have happened in her last seconds.

'Just the same as the others. No, not quite the same…'

The white-haired boy shifted in his crouching position when he noticed the man that had come to a halt beside him. He rested his hand on the ground and merely nodded into his direction.

"This one is intact. It's skull and eyes are untouched but the symptoms are the same as the other ones. They finally made the mistake I have been waiting for."  
>A satisfied smile curved his lips as he stood up and looked at the Detective.<br>"Finally, we will find out what it is that is so special about the brain and eyes that they extracted all of them before."

"If you think so…" Sebastian could clearly see just from standing there that he was right. The sight before him was barely different from the last nine victims they had found.  
>"We'll wait for the results of the autopsy until we hold judgment about that. Just because it looks the same it doesn't have to be linked to the others." He knew the other man was right. He was sure of it.<br>And still…

"What a waste of time. As always. I could easily… "

"We have to get permission by her relatives first- plus, do you seriously intend to cut her open in a place like this?" Disgusting. To think he was chained to this…freak, investigating yet another case that appeared to be linked to the events that had happened at Mental Beacon.  
>The only thing that kept him going at this point was a sparse hope. A faint wish his heart hadn't given up on even after all this time. If the same people were behind this, he still had a chance. A chance to find her. Or if not her- then, at least, some kind of closure.<p>

Church bells rang in the distance. A signal for a beginning mass, maybe. Sebastian glanced at his wristwatch and let out a heavy sigh. "She is either still waiting or already left again. Wouldn't blame her."  
>A questioning look from the side made him explain further. "I have ordered help. Another Detective to make this a complete team. Two is not enough. Especially since you have no rank or authority."<p>

"Another person will only make things more difficult. We have been fine up until now, Seb, we can manage perfectly well without inviting any more unwanted attention." The albino's expression showed clearly how displeased he was with Sebastian's decision. Of course he was.  
>Adding another Detective to the team also meant adding more risk of blowing his cover.<br>But Sebastian hadn't lied. They needed the help. HE needed the help. If not for the investigation- then to keep his own sanity from slowly crumbling away.

"You will just have to deal with her as I have to deal with you, '_Leslie'._"

At the last word, his voice was dripping with venom, for he knew all too well what monster now resided in this body. An innocent mind had been erased, absorbed and replaced with something else.  
>Eyes, once pure and full of hope now pierced through him with cruel intensity.<p>

'Ruvik'

Yes. He needed help. Another human at his side.

Without another word, the Detective turned around and started walking towards the waiting car.  
>He didn't have to look back to know that the other one was following him already.<p> 


	3. Chapter 2: A new Start

**_***HI PEOPLE! MERRY CHRISTMAS (or whats left of it for you guys, haha!) Uploading a new chapter today although I havent really handed it to my _****_victim_****_ proofreader before! So- don't get too much eye cancer from this pls...ah and excuse that it is utter crap in general... english is not my first language aaaand I have never written a longer fanfic before ugh...yeh, this is my first one so bear with me, pls!***_**

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><p><strong><em>Crackle. Rustle. Crinkle.<em>**

Another page turned and, simultaneously, another deep sigh escaped the redhead's lips.  
>Brown eyes scanned the many rows and columns of offers. The red felt-tip pen circled yet another less than promising advert. "Sheesh! Would you believe me if I told you that I have been looking for a nice apartment for well over a week now? This city is awful…"<p>

"A week is not very long…." was the less than enthusiastic answer from behind the receptionist's counter. Helen had decided to make use of the overabundance of time she seemed to have left before her partners would be back in the building. Equipped with a cup of coffee and a newspaper she had sat down on the entrance hall's large leather sofa, ready to kill some time with a useful and much needed session of apartment hunting. "It's winter. Not a season for moving in or out of an apartment."

"Heck, had I known earlier that I would come back here, I would have started looking for a flat _months_ ago. …or simply kept the old one instead of canceling the lease."  
>'Or built a make shift home out of cardboard boxes near the KCPD's building- everything is better than these overpriced, bug infested holes.' Helen already dreaded the phone calls she would have to make…and visits she would have to pay on estimatedly each one of these advertised places.<p>

The pen marked one more ad. Again, tiny flat - huge lease. Sharing an apartment with someone might have been a better idea. Helen took a sip from her coffee and peeked at the large clock above the receptionist's desk. The watch-hands moved painfully slow and Helen caught herself already cursing at her new team mates. They took _too_ long! How much time could it take to inspect the crime scene, shake a few hands and nod in agreement at the few officers that had already done all the considerably hard work before? Not _that_ long, normally.

More rustling ensued as the woman rolled up the thick newspaper she'd been working on for the last forty minutes. Patience was not her forte.  
>'I should spank some butts with this –' The paper made a slapping noise as it hit her palm. 'Yeah, have some nice old fashioned spanking from the Junior Detective, Castellanos!'<br>"That's what you get for making me wait!" Swishing noises were heard as Helen stood up and waved the Wednesday issue of the Krimson City Post with exaggerated force from left to right in front of her.

Swish.  
>Imaginary butt spanking.<br>Swoosh.  
>She could almost hear him plead for forgiveness.<p>

The thought of this little act of revenge made the female giggle to herself. A little too loud maybe, because an irritated cough from the across the hall eventually reminded her that she was not alone.  
>Embarrassing, yes, but not too much.<br>"Hey— Uh, can you do me a favor, uh…"  
>"Newman. Larry Newman." The man behind the counter had straightened his back to get a better view of the girl. Thick glasses covered his eyes. With his high cheekbones and the pouted look of his lips he reminded her of a goldfish.<br>"Oh alright then, Larry, nice to meet you."  
>Goldfish Larry watched her as she gulped down the last bits of her already cold coffee – pulling a face at the bitter taste of the sediments on the cups' ground - and discarded the empty beverage into a nearby rubbish bin afterwards.<br>"I think I have waited long enough- no one can say I didn't try, eh? Alas—"

The newspaper under her arm and her trusty cardboard box in both hands, she strolled over to him.

"There's stuff I have to get done. Can you tell Sergeant Detective Castellanos that I have been here and that he can call me whenever he gets back?" She placed the box on the counter and started rummaging through its contents. The badge appeared in her hand and she swiftly pocketed it, safely securing it in her jacket. Close to her heart. Then she shoved the box a few centimeters into his direction. "Can you keep this for me?" Larry stood up and looked at the object reluctantly; then he looked towards Helen. More specifically, he looked behind her.  
>Pouted lips curved into a smile. For a short moment she expected him to answer with an affirmative 'blub'. But instead she heard him say: "Why don't you tell him yourself?"<br>"Huh?" The Junior Detective turned around just in time to witness the KCPD's doors opening to reveal said man enter…and with him, his more than a little peculiar looking partner.

"Saul!" The dark-haired man lifted a hand to greet her. "You've been waiting, right? Good to see you back here after all." His handshake was warm and firm. "Yes, thanks. It's good to be back. Feels a lot better than you'd imagine." Her eyes lay on the young man that had entered along with the Detective.

'Holy shit. It's a ghost.'

"We're in a hurry, so I'll keep this short…"

'A unicorn.'

"…Junior Detective Helen Saul, Leslie Withers- we can skip the get-to know-each-other games for now, if you don't mind. There's plenty of time for that in the car."

'It's Jack Frost from that kids movie…Wait, what…?'

Helen had never seen one. Much less shaken hands with one. For most of the time while Sebastian had been talking she had stared at the white-haired person in front of her.  
>An Albino, it finally hit her. White hair, pale skin, unusual eye color.<br>Yes, she stared. Quite shamelessly, to admit that- but it didn't really matter, since the boy had been busy inspecting the KCPDs nearby hanging large map of Krimson City, displaying utter disinterest in the ongoing meet-and-greet. At the mention of his name, though, he looked at her.  
>His gaze was piercing through Helen. It was hard to withstand, as he looked her up and down, judgingly.<br>Slightly discomforting, but Helen extended her hand nonetheless.  
>This was her new start.<br>Everything would be fine, no matter how weird it may feel in the beginning.

_Everything would be fine- even if her new partner looked **way too young, already seemed to be somewhat rude and was a frickin' albino to top it all off!** Ah, and there was still this thing with the missing Rank that Sebastian had successfully managed to swipe under the rug when introducing them._

'A new start. Positivity, Helen! Be nice - receive nice.'

"I am already looking forward to working together!" She smiled at him, hand hovering in mid-air.  
>The answer came fast. And without the slightest hint of a smile. "We'll see about that." Ignoring her gesture, he turned to the other man. "Satisfied now? We are running out of time – I suggest to get moving before our evidence starts rotting away under the hands of that dilettante pathologist." Withers started walking towards the entrance again and only then looked back when he reached for the doors handle. His posture spoke for him. It demanded obedience. 'Follow me or get left behind' was what it said.<p>

'OH HE **_IS_** RUDE!' Saul let her hand sink and looked at Castellanos, who, in turn, looked at Withers sourly. Were they going to follow him? Helen started wondering who was calling the shots here.  
>The tension was almost thick enough to grab it. Slice it. There was definitely something wrong with this team and she was not going to jump into the whole ordeal blindly.<p>

"Uh – nice staring contest you got there going. I am ready to go if we must...well, almost." She grabbed the box that had still been standing on the counter behind her. "There are a few things I'd like to know safe in the office…"  
>"Leave them at the reception?" The Detective cocked an eyebrow at her.<br>"Aah, I'd love to, but Larry said it's better if we just lock them in now instead of later. Right, Larry?" The Goldfish dude was about to open his mouth but she mouthed a silent 'no' into his direction. It might as well had been an 'o', but he seemed to understand her just as well. He sat down and started typing something down, pretending to be very busy all of a sudden.  
>'Guy needs to get an Oscar.'<br>She turned to her partner and forced the biggest, most innocent smile on her face.  
>"Sebastian?"<br>The older man hesitated for a second. His gaze shifted from the young man at the doors to the woman beside him before he let out an exasperated sigh. There was something in the look she gave him that even her puppy dog eyes couldn't hide. She would find more reasons to have an eye-to-eye talk with him. Saying 'no' now would just prolong this game of bad acting.

"Fine. Let's make it quick though." Sebastian started making his way towards the staircase next to the elevator while he talked. The sound of the entrance doors opening and closing told him that Ruvik had no intention to join them on their way. Good. Every minute away from this guy was a gift from above. His foot touched the first step.  
>"We're not taking the elevator? I thought you wanted to make this quick?" She had followed him after watching the other leave.<br>"Yes, we're not going to take the elevator."  
>'Ever.'<p>

"Huh- okay…"

They climbed the stairs together. In silence.  
>'How do I do this…?' Helen was wrecking her brain for a way to ask him about that Withers guy. Just not too pushy. Not too obvious. There had to be a way to let it slip into some kind of nice chitchat conversation. Something like: 'Hey I like your shoes- what's wrong with the albino dude in our team?'<br>"Oh wow that's bad…" Helen sighed at the thought of this.  
>"What is it?" The Detective turned to look at her mid-step, causing her to snap out of her inner debate and almost lose her footing. Quick reacting prevented the cardboard box from falling and scattering its contents on the floor. Helen clutched the object close to her chest and cursed inwardly.<br>And outwardly.  
>"Frick! I hate stairs…what's so bad about taking the elevator? Didn't you test me enough already? First, making me wait like an idiot and now this…"<br>"It's…a personal decision." He coughed and resumed walking. "And I wanted to give you a chance to ask those questions you're dying to ask."  
>'What.' Her eyes widened. 'You sneaky old man…! <em>How could you see through my first-class acting?<em> Ah, fuck it, Helen; you're bad at this, no shame.' Taking two steps at a time she caught up to him and began to think once more.  
>"We're almost there, Helen, better act quick. There's no time to take a walk around the block so just get it off your chest." Of course he had known it. He had known the second she had grinned at him like a banana and he would bet his ass Ruvik had realized the same before he had left to wait outside.<p>

"So…that other guy. What's his rank?"  
>"None." He took a turn and she followed.<br>"How come he is allowed into the investigation then?" 'No rank? What kind of stupid joke is this?'  
>"He is…"<br>"…some whiz kid that has a deeper insight on the case so we simply need him?" 'Like, talking to the dead, seeing ghosts and reading minds…or just walking all over people?'  
>"If you want to call it that."<br>"Should have known this thing had some kind of catch to it. I admit I was surprised to hear someone had asked for **_me_** to help on such an interesting case. And that_ immediately_ after I come back." Had there been dirt- Helen would have kicked at it. This was all kinds of frustrating. This was not her new start. This was going to be a _farce_- some old Detective and some wannabe-Sherlock-kid as her partners, working on a case they probably had absolutely no chance at solving. The most disconcerting thing was the way Castellanos seemed to go along with this. Someone like him should know better.  
>She remembered when she had asked those people about the locked office. Their reaction towards his name.<br>Sure, he'd been through a lot of shit- but if he had become weird because of that...wouldn't the people in charge have...discharged him?  
>"Unhappy with your new team?" He pushed the door open that led to the third floor. The female brushed past him, sighing. "Slightly. But at least I know why the others gave me weird looks when I asked for you before. I'd given me a weird look too if I had known. It's pretty obvious that this is not going to work out. Why are you working with him? He is too young, he looks like he just came from high school. Civilians shouldn't be allowed in on cases like this. I have read the files we have so far. I have no idea what <em>you're<em> thinking but I bet this isn't legal. "  
>"Legal, huh. You're right- I asked for you specifically because—"<br>"HAH, yes you did." Her bitterness was now clearly audible. "And I am starting to see why."  
>"That's why you shouldn't be asking too much. You're in no position to question my actions."<br>The office door's lock clicked as he turned the keys in it. She looked at him.  
>"The judge decided I am innocent. I had no choice. <em>They<em> attacked first."  
>"I know what it says on the official documents, Saul. You'll just have to trust me." He motioned for her to enter the room. Rows of file cabinets littered the walls along with shelves filled with books and folders full of documents. Sparse light shone through the blinds that covered the windows. They could hear the rain rustling against them. Three desks took up most of the space in the middle of the office. Two seemed to be in use while the third one was left unoccupied.<br>Empty apart from a small name plate. White letters stood out on a black surface. 'JD Helen Saul'. She put the small crate down and ran her fingers over the plastic object. Feeling the indentations that formed her name.  
>This was hers. She belonged here and she was far from giving up on it.<br>"You don't know what happened back then. You weren't there."  
>"You're right, no one knows for sure. Except you. That's why."<p>

-

The rain had gotten stronger. What had been a slight drizzle just up until a few minutes ago had now turned into a steady downpour that hammered against the cars windows in a relentless offbeat rhythm.  
>Ruvik placed a hand against the glass. It was cold and smooth against his skin. He enjoyed the sensation. He'd had this new body; this new life; for about a year now, but his triumph was still as fresh as on the first day. Being able to feel again. He could walk amongst others just like he thought he had craved all those years.<br>Only, this desire had worn off surprisingly quickly when he had finally gotten the chance to do it.  
>There were more pressing matters on his mind than to mingle with the broad masses of uneducated swine that populated these streets.<br>He cast a stare up into the clouded skies. Decades had passed while he had been alone. Imprisoned in his own body. And later on, in his own mind. He still despised those that did this to him. And now that he was free again – he would hunt them down and make them pay_ for_ every single day, every cut and every thought they had took from him.

'They took what they thought useful. And after that they lost interest in me like a child loses interest in a toy that broke.'  
>If they wanted to, they could easily find him. He wasn't trying to hide.<br>After all the effort they put into hindering his escape he had been certain they would try and capture him again.  
>Nothing like that happened and it had already been a year since then.<p>

Apparently, they had started a new venture. They had shifted their gaze and now focused on a new project. Possibly tempering with the plans and theories they stole from him once again. In another, even more twisted way than before.

He rubbed his temples and tried to focus on the task at hand. Now they had made a mistake.  
>They had left their trash out in the open, carelessly. All he' had to do was pick it up and see if it could tell him something about their plans. He imagined the corpse. Every detail was burned into his mind's eye. He would make the incisions needed and start by pulling off the skin of fa—<p>

His train of thought was interrupted as he noticed the Detectives leave the building. Working with them was a necessary evil but the woman's looks had left a significantly more foul taste in his mouth than he had expected. A mere glance at her had been enough to tell him that she would be nothing more than a nuisance. Young, inexperienced…distracting.

And sure enough she was already asking questions.

Car doors opening, the sound of rain, the scent of wet streets and wet clothes.  
>Ruvik leaned back as they entered the car.<br>Sebastian sat down in the driver's seat and started the car without a word. He would drive himself. The side view mirror showed the woman sitting in the backseat, silently staring out the window. Her facial expression bespoke of uneasiness. Something must have happened on their way here. Whatever it was, he didn't mind the silence.  
>The albino closed his eyes to shut out the passing city lights on this unusually dark day and smiled to himself.<br>Only the rain kept rushing down on everything, soon blending all sounds into a crescendo of pure white noise.  
>'Yes, a storm is coming.'<p> 


	4. Chapter 3: Who's the coroner here?

*****Hello there! Uploading another chapter of this one bc...because because because! Ah well, what can I say, writing these takes far too long, apologies for that! I had a real struggle getting this into a somewhat readable form...more apologies if it is still a jumbled mess and hard to understand- as I previously said english is not my first language AND I usually dont write fanfiction at all! Anyways! Enjoy this chapter- bc I have lost blood, sweat and tears for it!*****

* * *

><p>It took them twenty minutes to get to the nearby hospital. No words had been spoken during that time and the atmosphere in the car had gotten more tense with every passing minute. At least, that was what Helen had thought. As they exited the car she caught a glimpse of Leslie's facial expression, which was what could best be compared to that of a kid, eager to unwrap it's Christmas presents.<br>Such a wide, pleased smile had seemed impossible for him when they met earlier. As soon as she had seen it, though, it was gone again- gone with its wielder, who took no time to wait before he, once again, went ahead and climbed the entrance stairs of the hospital in long, confident steps before entering without them.  
>"He's pretty eager to get to the body, huh?" The female watched the doors close behind the albino while she waited for Castellanos to lock the car. The rain was still pouring down and soaking into her clothes. She shivered inadvertently.<p>

'A hospital. _Great_. **A morgue. _Fantastic_**.'

"He already knows his way around here. Not the first time we had a corpse in this case and most likely not the last time if you ask me."He stayed silent for a moment, seemingly trying to find the right words for what he wanted to say next.  
>"...Helen, I wouldn't ask you to work with us if I thought lowly of you. Myra—… My wife held you in high regards. And I trust her on that."<br>'Fuck.'  
>Helen knew what had happened to Castellanos wife. She had known Myra. Not all too well- but good enough to know that they had been a happily married couple and kick ass awesome Detectives. Until the fire no one could explain. And until Myra had suddenly disappeared into thin air.<br>Rumors had it that Sebastian went to lengths to find out what had really happened to his wife and child. And the way he had went about it…  
>She looked at him through the rain. He was looking back at her; the look on his face asking for an answer to a question he hadn't spoken out loud.<br>Maybe this wasn't the worst that could happen to her after all. Had she been thinking about leaving this team as soon as possible only seconds ago? Undoubtedly. But something had changed just now. Something big. Something important.  
>"Well, thanks, I guess…" Helen tried to keep a straight face as she said it. She looked away as a smile started creeping onto her face. "Sheesh, we're getting all soaked up, huh…I bet even the dead in the morgue have it more cozy than us right now." she tried to divert the attention from their previous topic…and her face.<br>Sebastian had rounded the car and gave her a crooked smile. This was a good enough answer for him.  
>"Let's get out of the rain – I'll tell you about the latest victim on our way to the pathology."<p>

Colored lines on the floor marked the ways to different wards in the hospital. The one leading to the morgue and also to the pathology was yellow. Sebastian had started talking while they walked and Helen had fixed her eyes on the line on the ground, listening intently as they followed their very own version of the Yellow Brick Road. Only that this one had no Wonderful Wizard waiting for them at the end.  
>"…and that's why this one is so special. It could be the breakthrough we have been waiting for. Or completely unrelated – but as far as it seems, we're pretty sure we got something, finally." He just ended.<p>

"So we've had a lot of mutilated corpses and nothing else until now…and this one is special because it's still in one piece?" The line on the floor took a left turn. Both detectives did the same.

"Basically. We also assume that the victims must have consumed something before their death. And all of them where known to be drug addicts. Brain, eyes and stomach of all victims have been removed in all former cases, so they didn't just die of a fatal dose. There's more to this than them just taking too much of whatever they needed to get their usual high."

"I get it. You think someone killed them. Considering they've been drug addicts I make a wild guess and say it's not for the black market. So what other motive could they have for taking their organs?"

"That's what we're trying to find out." Brushing a hand through his hair, Sebastian gave an internal sigh at the thought of possible failure. This was all they had for now- it better had to be something this time.

He came to an abrupt halt when they reached the heavy iron doors that marked the entrance to the hospitals morgue. Helen hadn't been keeping attention to anything else than their conversation and the yellow brick road line they walked on.  
>The only thing that prevented her from crashing straight into the doors in front of her was the fact that mentioned ones where being opened the second they approached them.<br>"I can't believe this! Again!? Who's the coroner here?! Me or— Detective Castellanos!"  
>A small man, in his late fifties maybe, appeared in the opening. He stopped and stared at them. They stared back before the older Detective answered with an amused tone "I am pretty sure I am still no doctor…"<br>"Ah, no, Detective…thank the heavens you are here!" The man was definitely relieved to see Sebastian. Helen watched the two of them shake hands. The face of the smaller one was still beet red and he continued fidgeting his fingers as soon as his hand was freed from Castellanos grip. He was as tall as he was wide and she wondered how he would be capable of doing his job without constantly tossing things off the tables and trays with his immense….belly.

"I was about to start the internal examination when _he_ barged in! He practically threw me out— Out of my own mortuary! Could you believe this!? You have to put an end to this- I am _so_ close to calling the security!" The overweight male put his thumb and index finger against each other to underline his he finally noticed the second Detective in the hallway.  
>"Oh!Ooh!" His eyes brightened up. "Someone new? And such a delighting addition to your team at that!" He grabbed her hand and shook it, suddenly much less agitated than only seconds before. "Kugel is the name, young lady, wonderful, wonderful…"<br>"Thank you very much for the warm welcome, Mr. Kugel. I am Junior Detective Helen Saul and I am new to the team, yes."  
>He let go of her hand and just smiled at her for a second. Still a little too rosy around his cheeks.<br>'Cute…and weird. What a way to make a 180 degree turn…' was her only thought when the silence between the three of them started getting awkward. Luckily Sebastian broke the quiet "So, how about we go inside?"

"Oh yes, yes, of course, naturally! Follow me, please!" Dr Kugel proceeded to waddle inside the mortuary again, already continuing to mumble and groan about the aforementioned intruder.

They stepped inside behind him and were instantly greeted by the coldness that was usual for a place like this. It didn't help that they were still wet from the rain and Sebastian silently cursed when he saw Saul's face drop at the sight before them.  
>Ruvik was standing in front of the table. Sleeves lazily rolled up, he was already about to open the body to reveal its morbid contents.<br>"Stop, stop, stop! Put that down immediately, will you?!" The coroner flailed his arms at the young man who held the scalpel and attempted to shoo him away from the corpse. With little to no success.  
>With a few swift movements of his hand, the victim was cut open from the top of the sternum to the pubis. This was not the first time he had done this. Ignoring the now barely audible protest of Kugel, he started removing the internal organs he was interested in the most.<br>His hands dug into the cold wetness of the victims flesh, shoving away tissue and lumps of already clotted, darkened blood. Gushing noises emerged from the raw opening and the room was slowly filling more and more with the heavy stench of blood. Metallic, sweet and, at the same time, salty. The cadaver gave a gurgling sigh as he took the entire gastrointestinal block out of it and placed it on a medical tray beside him.  
>He would take a closer look at this one when he was done with the rest.<p>

"Ru— Leslie…." Castellanos cleared his throat.

The one spoken to looked up from his work with slight annoyance. "Do you want to complain again? I am only doing what needs to be done- unlike him;" he gestured leisurely into the direction of Kugel, "I know what we are looking for."

"Look, I am just as eager as you to find out more, but this is not your job. If you don't step aside we're going to get in trouble…" The last words of his sentence trailed off into a slight mumble as he watched Ruvik take the scalpel again and make a small incision leading from behind one ear across the crown of the body's head to the other. He did know what they were looking for.

Just as the albino was beginning to pull the skin off the head and forward to reveal the skull underneath he heard a faint gagging noise coming from the other side of the table.  
>'Right. The woman. ' He watched her pale face as he continued to strip the skin off the victims cranium. She was obviously not enjoying the view one bit and averted her gaze from the scene, turning to stare at the hand of the deceased female as if it was the most interesting thing in the whole morgue.<br>'As expected…' Her great discomfort satisfied him in a way. It only showed that he had been right. Bringing another investigator into their team had been a bad idea. And he was already sure that she'd be gone again in only a matter of days. If not minutes.  
>Ruvik focused on his work again. His hand found the Stryker saw on the medical tray carrying the autopsy tools. The small object started emitting a high pitched buzzing sound when he pushed the power button on it.<br>He could almost feel the energy of it run through his fingers, through his arms and into his spine as he started sawing. The oscillating saw blade dug into the skull. Fine clouds of dust arose where the metal cut through bone. He would see it in a few seconds. It would lay its secrets bare in front of him. Naked truth, uncovered, unhidden. He was the one meant to find out and he would do so no matter what.

'Like a maniac. Like Frankenstein in the movies when he is about to pull the lever to electrify his monster…' Helen had seen autopsies before. Handled by pathologists, coroners, trainees even. She'd be up and out and reporting this little freak in seconds if Seb hadn't gotten rid of her doubt so well earlier. So this was what she would have to expect from now on if she wanted to work with them.  
>'Are you kidding me? He is basically ripping the poor thing apart, no comments, no notes no examination. Just some idiot getting off to digging his bare hands into a corpse…although, apart from being silent and ignoring the basic hygiene…he is doing it like any other trained med.'<br>She felt the doubt well up inside her again but decided to ignore it. Myra had held her in high regards, he had said. He wouldn't have asked for her if he had thought lowly of her, he had said. What had sounded so heartwarming and had actually made her feel proud and accepted only minutes ago…now fell a little flat when being confronted with the harsh reality that was this disastrous team.  
>Her thoughts went back to the other guy, Leslie.<p>

The look in his eyes worried her more than anything else. Intense, ecstatic, as if this was a matter of personal gain. Amusement had been added to this disturbing mixture when he suddenly looked straight at her, his hands still pulling on a clout of skin. Too much. Any more of this and she would throw up on the spot, which was, admittedly, not what she wanted to do right now. She tried to focus on something else just to avoid the embarrassing act of emptying her stomach in front of everyone else. She scanned the area, ready to fix her stare on just about anything that would be easier to look at than_ that._ The victims hand caught her attention. It was dirty and bruised, or initially it _seemed_ to be. At closer inspection, the blood-crusted nails and fingers weren't the most interesting thing on it after all. What really stood out to Helens eyes was the blueish smudge on the back of it. It was hard to recognize at first, but this was definitely some sort of ink. A picture. Stamped on and then halfway washed off again. A crescent moon lying on its side with the opening showing upwards. Colored letters under a thin line made up a word. But she couldn't yet decipher.  
>'Is….Isc…..t'<p>

"Dr. Kugel…" The coroner was still fidgeting and lamenting behind the table while he helplessly watched the young albino work in his place, too scared to approach the man that was using the sharp and dangerous instruments with undeniable expertise. He hesitated taking his eyes off of what was in front of him to answer Helen. "Uh, yes, Detective, how may I help you?"

"You didn't happen to finish an external examination on the victim's body before we arrived, have you?"

Instantly practically beaming with joy, Kugel weaseled around the table and fished a small clipboard from one of the shelves that lined the wall behind Helen and Sebastian.  
>"Ohohoo~ of course, what else would I do before opening the body! Following the protocol, a coroner is to<em> first <em>examine the body from the outside _before_ taking a look at the inside!" He threw a sideways glance at the man behind him, who was just now removing the corpse's cranial vault. "Any real medically trained person would know and follow this rule. It is our law!" he exclaimed energetically, slamming a small fist against his quite immense chest.  
>Then he started flipping through a number of pages that were already littered with notes, numbers and small annotations. "Let's see…..here!" He handed her the clipboard and stepped a little closer.<p>

"Sally Artis…" Sebastian had also bent into their direction to get a look at the files. He murmured the name to himself before he leaned back and watched Ruvik again.  
>"So they finally got her name. What about her address? Did you find anything in her pockets when you got her ready for the examination?" He didn't even flinch when he saw the scalpel cut through the soft and mushy mass that was the victim's brain. He'd seen worse.<p>

"Ah, what am I? A coroner, not a pickpocket! I noted down what I took from the body and put everything in a box. If you want to put your hands into her coat you will have to do so yourself, yes! The only reason I got her name was that her…eh…" the well rounded man was blushing as he said this, "well, her ID fell out of her…underclothing."

The redhead at his side gave a small snicker at this. She had skimmed through the notes and now lowered her hands holding the clipboard. "So she suffocated…but neither her throat nor her tongue is swollen? What made her stop breathing then?"  
>Dr. Kugel turned to face her again, still red faced but obviously pleased to be able to explain something to her. "Oh, nowhere did I say that the poor child suffocated! Of course, I noted the usual signs of lack of oxygen and marks of suffocation down that were apparent on the body. But that was not the reason she died, no, not at all, my dear, it was completely and utterly different from that! You see, her tongue and throat are not swollen, but these red spots around her eyes and on her cheeks?"<p>

"The answer is quite simple. Her heart stopped beating."

Everyone turned their heads to the young man, who was standing, scalpel still in hand, before the brain he had sliced into twelve identically thick pieces. Twelve layers, exposing everything, from the Frontal Lobe to the Thalamus, to the Cerebellum. The cerebral mass was laid out in front of them, piece by piece. It shimmered glossy. Still wet from the spinal fluids it had been surrounded by only minutes ago.  
>"The limbic system is virtually destroyed. The abuse of drugs that stimulate dopamine neurotransmission is known to cause deterioration on this part of the brain. But it would not cause something like this." He pointed at various spots on the different segments before him.<br>All of them showed darkened areas. Some of them were almost black while others still had little specs of color on them: a deep, lush red.  
>"It was just part of the reason they had an easy victim in this one."<br>He gestured at a few of the bigger splotches and continued to speak while he did so.  
>Helen followed the motion of his pointing finger and stared at the moist mass of glia and nerves. Her mind, however, was stuck on something different.<br>'They'  
>He had said it as if he already knew who had caused this.<br>It was only normal to follow every hint and small detail before taking judge on assumed suspects. But nowhere had it been stated in Sebastian's files that they already had a major lead in this case.  
>'So, who is he talking about? Who are '<em>they'<em> and why has no one told me about _'them'_ yet?' She created a mental note about this and tried to concentrate on what was being said again.  
>'Just another question I can add to the heap of todays unanswered mysteries, I guess…'<p>

"Ruptured aneurysms. Seventeen, ranging from nine to fifteen mm in diameter. The radical influx of fluid led to a high pressure and to insufficient blood supply on the brain itself. The 'victim' experienced severe pain, comparable to that of a migraine. Only excessively more intense." A weak smile flashed over his face and he paused.  
>'It doesn't matter how I phrase it. None of them can even remotely imagine the level of pain this must have caused.'<br>Sebastian did not see this smile although he might have been the only one being able to read the meaning of it at this time.  
>The Detective stared at the dark blotches, remembered the blood and hair between the girls fingers. She must have torn off hair and skin in her desperation.<br>"The extreme headache is a common symptom of an aneurysm, usually accompanied by drowsiness, loss of sense and direction, a blurred vision and malfunction of the nervous system."  
>She must have tried to get somewhere safe and ended up on the green area. Lost, confused, blinded and weak like a shot animal.<br>"With the number and size of these aneurysms she most likely fell into a coma or suffered a stroke. Her organs shut down one by one, including her heart, which ultimately resulted in her death. Either way, the bleeding in her brain destroyed tissue and synapsis at a high speed. Whatever did this was designed to take an immediate effect on limbic system, Broca's area and the brain stem."  
>He pointed at said parts of the brain and it was clearly visible what he meant. They were all practically covered in aneurysms.<br>'Emotion, communication, control over basic vital functions.' Ruvik was trying to piece together what he had found, but as it was, he couldn't make sense of it yet. The damage done to the brain couldn't have been intentional, he figured.  
>'The stomach. If I can find out what has caused this I will be able to tell what they wanted to achieve with it.'<br>The scalpel was sharp. It cut through the intestine with ease and after only moments the remains of whatever Sally Artis had eaten in her last hours came into view. There it was. In a puddle of bitter smelling acidic fluids and a few bits of what appeared to have been parts of her last meal.  
>Almost see-through, partly dissolved, yet still remarkably well conserved.<br>"A capsule! You don't see that very often when it comes to drugs, no, not at all if I may say so…maybe she had an overdose on some medicament rather than a stimulant, hm?" Dr. Kugel had remained silent for a while but now he was making himself heard again. "As a renowned and experienced coroner I can tell what—"

"You tell me." The albino crossed the room and began scrubbing his hands and arms with a disinfection soap under the cold water of a nearby sink. The red foam that built up became brighter and brighter until it was pure white and vanished into the drain. A capsule. But what had been inside?

"—I can only tell what the naked eye can see, _young man_." The corpulent man now ended his sentence with a snarky tone. "You'd have to send a sample of it to the hospital's laboratory and have it analyzed there."

As soon as he had said this he was met with an ice cold stare. The fact that it was paired with a smile didn't help the least bit. This smile was cruel. Threatening. It was filled with the morbid curiosity of a hunter facing his helpless prey. Triumphant and playful. They all saw it- but it was directed at Kugel only. Helen felt as if she had been pushed into ice cold water. It sent shivers down her spine and left her awe-struck at the aura of potency he emanated through it. If it had such an impact on her, what would it feel like for the Doctor? She couldn't see his facial expression from where she stood and his body wasn't moving.  
>One second passed, then another.<br>Just as she was about to say something, to end the silence, it happened.

"O-Of course I can do just that for you! As well as, ugh… cleaning up and closing the body and, and…"  
>The man was practically wheezing when he said this, as if it caused him physical effort to speak up at all. He cleared his throat and started fidgeting his hands like before.<p>

"Good."  
>The Junior Detective watched Leslie nod slightly and then walk to the mortuary's door. Apparently, her white haired partner had decided it was time to take their leave now. No objections to that. The last thing Helen wanted was to stay even longer in the presence of the dead. She grabbed the box Dr. Kugel had filled with the clothes and items he had taken from the corpse.<br>The little man looked a bit confused when the woman thanked him and shook his hand good bye.  
>She went up to the door too and turned around. "Sebastian?"<p>

The Detective was looking at the dead woman on the table. "What about her eyes?"  
>"They were bloodshot and dulled because of the brain damage. That was the reason they had taken them from the others." Ruvik pulled the door open and was taking a step outside when the woman beside him put a hand on his shoulder. "Leslie." He frowned and looked at the hand that was touching him. Then at the woman it belonged to. "What is it?"<p>

"I think you have a nosebleed."


	5. Chapter 4: Ignore her

******I am sorry for the delay in updates- but as mentioned various tmes before- english is neither my first language nor am I good at writing. Sooo- enjoy this chapter that nearly broke my neck : D I am super tired (it's 11pm as I am writing this) and I have to get up early for work at 5am so just bare with my typos until I can fix them tomorrow, pls!*******

Of course they had to leave the box with Sally's earthly possessions at the hospital after all.  
>A forensics scientist would have a go at them and look for fibers and fingerprints on the smaller items and pieces of clothing. That was, if there were any left. The weather hadn't been working in their favor this day and it was still raining when they departed from the hospital, empty-handed. This left them with nothing more than the list the coroner had written down when he stripped everything off the corpse.<br>Now everyone was working on their own, more or less quietly. Helen pondered about this. Normally, they would have sat down, talked about the things they uncovered, made plans for what they would do next. But none of this happened. Then again, what was normal in this team? She had stood in front of her desk for a few seconds, just watching the two men in her team.

Leslie buried himself in tons of books immediately after they had arrived at the office.  
>Probably for the better.<br>The only times he had opened his mouth so far hadn't been all too pleasant. The boy looked like an angel, sure, but his behavior, and the way he talked to other people, proved that he was a book you wouldn't want to judge by it's cover. She decided not to ask him about what exactly he was trying to find in 'Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology', 'Neuroanatomy' and other books with similar titles. He hadn't looked too happy when she had told him about his nosebleed earlier just wiped the blood off with the back of his hand and left her standing there. Leaving people behind and being a dick in general seemed to be normal for him. Teamwork with this guy would be 'oh, so much fun'…

Sebastian was busy chain-smoking and making calls to the lab and other people while he sifted through the files that lay scattered on his desk. He also didn't look too approachable at this very moment.

Still somewhat clueless about the whole thing, Helen simply starting sorting through her own belongings and set up her work place as best as she could for now. Putting various things into the drawers of her desk and neatly placing notebooks, small guides and pencils where they would come in handy at a later time…maybe. It helped her thinking clearly. Something just wouldn't click yet. Something she had seen, back at the morgue then, was still spooking around her head. It was just about out of reach. So close, yet so far… maybe organizing her office equipment would help her organize her thoughts, she told herself.  
>The redhead was just about done when she heard Sebastian curse like a sailor. The detective jumped from his chair, nearly throwing it over in the process and left the room in a hurry. The sound of the door slam shut was almost enough to make her jump. Almost.<p>

"What was that?" She plopped down on her chair and turned around to face the Albino. He hadn't even looked up from what he was doing.

"We will know soon enough if it is related to the case."  
>"I guess. He could have said something, though." Helen bent down and pushed the power button of the desktop computer. 'Now it's just you and me, sunshine.' At least she finally remembered what it was that had been bugging her ever since they had left the coroner. There was something she needed to verify - and she was almost sure she was right with her assumption, after a quick look at the list of the victim's stuff. She leaned back and waited.<p>

Silence.

And not just the awkward silence of them not talking. The female Detective had expected the quietness to sink in once Castellanos left the room. She had been listening to his phone calls with half an ear. It was enough to feel comfortable while she was busy herself.  
>Now he was gone and it had become completely silent in the room, except the sound of turning pages every once in a while.<p>

It was too quiet. Way too quiet.  
>'But not because no one's talking…'<p>

Helen bent down once again and tried pushing the power button a second time. Nothing.  
>"Great. No power." She got off her chair with a whispered sigh and crouched down under the desk.<br>A thick layer of dust greeted her.  
>Whoever was in charge of keeping this office clean was not doing their job very well. Fighting off the urge to sneeze, Helen crawled deeper into the depths of under her table. The power cords had to be somewhere close.<br>'Ugh- let's see….' It was dark down there. As if filling her lungs with the collected dirt of aeons and aeons wasn't bad enough; the darkness sure added to the experience. She blindly searched until her eyes adjusted to the sparse lighting. Checking the backside of the tower revealed it to be connected to all the important cables. All of them but the power cord.  
>Grumbling to herself she started looking for it in the tangled heap of cables that lay before her. More dust soon covered her hands and left a powder-y feeling on her fingertips. 'It's not here…'<br>Helen was still crouching under her desk like a bunny in its rabbit hole. She let her gaze wonder for a bit, too lazy to stand up again. Too stubborn to admit defeat against modern technology yet.

Shoes. Men's shoes. Black. Expensive looking.

Right, Leslie's desk was right beside hers. Facing the wall to her left, it was just close enough to prevent anyone from slipping through between both of them.

He was still reading, it seemed. The young man was sitting in his chair, legs crossed, and completely unaware of the woman under the table that was just now staring at his footwear absent-mindedly.

Staring at his footwear. And then his calves.

The female envisioned his features once more. The white hair and the exceptionally pale skin. Clear eyes with long lashes and that distinct hint of purple color that she had never seen before. Full lips and a straight nose. If it wasn't for the serious look in his eyes and the almost constant frown, he would have looked just like a child. How old was he anyways? He had the slender figure of a teenager, the face of a kid and the mind of….of what?  
>She pouted. 'It's day one, Helen, you'll have time to find out what it is about this boy…young man…young…man…'<p>

Her unwitting stare had been fixed on the fabric of his jeans but started wandering now once more. Further up. To his knees. And then…

The sound of turning pages. Hands brushing over paper to flatten the surface. The albino sighed almost inaudible, shifted in his seat and moved his legs, revealing full view on the area between them.

**_THUMP_**

"Owww…ugh...Whatever, whatever! I don't care, ok?!" A pencil rolled over the desk and fell to the floor after Helens head had violently made contact with the underside of said piece of furniture. She rubbed her skull in an attempt to soothe the pain. This would definitely give a nice little bump.  
>'That's what you get for staring at your 'you-don't-even-know-if-of-legal-age' partner's crotch!' Fucking focus, Helen, focus.'<p>

"Is there something I can help you with?" The offer would have sounded much more inviting hadn't it come in a slightly irritated and annoyed tone. Leslie was looking at her, eyes squinting to make out her cowering form in the darkness that lingered beneath the tables. The sound of her not-so-glorious impact with the solid wooden panel just now must have interrupted his reading.

"Uh—"  
>'EMBARASSING!'<br>"Uh—"

Her face beet red; she tried to find words. 'I did not just stare at you like some pedo, I SWEAR.' Thoughts running wild behind her eyes, Helen just stared at him blankly for a few seconds.

'Ho, wait, he can't possibly know what I was doing down here, right? That blow to the head just now already shows some results, huh? Stupid… Think, Helen, think!'

"Uh—"

She could practically watch his patience diminish. Who could blame him though? He offered help, albeit reluctantly, but still, and all he got in response was stuttering and blank stares.

'The power cord!' Of course, what answer could be better than the simple truth? She had come down here to find the cable, not to stare at …things.  
>He was already getting up again when she opened her mouth at last. "The computer- I need power, but it doesn't seem to be connected. Can you see the cord?"<p>

He got off his chair and in no longer than two seconds he had found the sought after item. She watched him plug the cable into the computers tower. Inwardly still cursing at herself.  
>'He descended gracefully and solved all the problems…and you had nothing better to do…'<p>

"There." He looked at her, briefly. Then at the floor. Did he avoid her eyes?

"Thank you."  
>'Maybe he is just all tough words…?'<p>

Both of them surfaced from underneath the tables and sat down again. Helen pushed the power button and noticed with relief the slight humming sound that now emitted from the machine.  
>She leaned back and waited for it to start up properly. Her eyes found Leslie again. He had resumed his former activity. Nose close to the pages he was sitting hunched over at his desk, totally immersed in whatever it was that he read. Had she judged him too quickly?<p>

"So…", she started.

His gaze shifted subtly. He listened.

"Are you feeling better?"

"What makes you think I haven't been feeling well?" He didn't care to look up at her. She was obviously trying to engage some sort of small talk. All under the premise of 'getting to know each other', he presumed. Ruvik rested his index finger on the paragraph he was reading. Why even answer her? Yet, he had.

"Your nosebleed earlier. Does that happen often?"

The nosebleed. Of course. He had allowed himself to get carried away by his own feelings. The evidence they had found today had opened more questions than answers. Still, he was certain that Mobius were those behind it. They had to be. What did they want? What kind of chemicals did they use on the brain of that woman and what was the desired effect? He had gotten too excited. Impatient even.

And then he had done it.  
>Invaded the thoughts of this old man just to mold his mind into taking his orders willingly. He shouldn't have gotten so incautious. Back when he had opened the gates to this new plane of consciousness- he hadn't known that he would be able to partly apply them out of his own creation.<br>It turned out that the years of imprisonment had helped him develop a level of control that was beyond the norm.

And beyond the limits of his new physical body.  
>The nosebleed was one of the signs that he needed to use these abilities carefully. And sparsely. Leslie's body had always been in a bad shape. Years of neglect and abuse left their scars on this shell and made it more vulnerable to its environments.<p>

Ruvik had come to terms with this. It was still a body worth much more than the hollow, numb husk he had lost long ago. And also much better than the sphere of glass and metal that had held his mind in confinement for so many years.

But this new one wasn't fit to execute what his mind was capable of.  
>Body and mind were out of sync. He should have expected this.<br>Just like he should have expected the nosebleed.

He hadn't even noticed it before she made him aware of it then. Manipulating this weak-minded Doctor had been one of the easier tasks. Paving the way for his work with the Detective had been a much more complex hurdle. Agonizing pain and nausea had only been two of the after effects that had been part of the price he had paid when using his powers for that.

"I am fine. Don't think about it."

"If it happens more often you should see a doctor." She paused for a second, then added "How old are you, Leslie?"

At this, Ruvik sat up straight. His finger was still placed on the same paragraph.  
>"….28." The answer hadn't come immediately and Helen was almost sure she had seen him hesitate for a split second, as if he had to think about his answer before giving it.<p>

"28?! You don't look that old at all! So what are you doing? Besides…this."  
>'Studying, working, pulling a Sherlock Holmes or…'<p>

He looked at her now. The questions. There they were. He had told Seb that this would happen, but that fool wouldn't listen to him. Now they had another nuisance to carry with them. And this woman wasn't even adding anything of value to their team. So far she had asked a few simple questions and watched them as they worked on the case.

Unfortunately, she had proven that she had no intention of leaving them so soon, making herself at home in the office. The prospect of seeing this woman every day, being forced to deal with not only one person around him but now a second one also, he had two options.

Get rid of her himself or ignore her as best as he could.

The former was undoubtedly tempting in many ways.  
>For the sake of his progress, and to keep his much needed and surprisingly helpful ally amused, though, he would have to go with the latter option. Ignore her.<p>

"I will continue reading this now. And I am sure you also have work to do."  
>Simply looking at her should already be straining his eyes.<br>Fire.  
>Fire in her hair. Fire in her eyes.<br>The way they reflected the light made them look like gleaming ashes.  
>It should.<br>'Ignore her.' He shook off the thought that was beginning to form in his head. He didn't even want to think about it.  
>A distraction, nothing more. A nuisance.<p>

"I appreciate the effort you put into 'lighten up' the mood, but I am not interested in sharing any more of my personal information with you. Or learning about yours."

This being said, he turned to his books again.

Dumbfounded by this blunt rejection, Helen opened her mouth. Then closed it again. Where there any words she could use to describe his behavior? Definitely. But none of them had the intensity or impact she would have needed to express her immense distaste at this situation.  
>Then again, it was most likely her fault. She had stared at him and felt bad about it- then he had helped her and she had come to think that he might not be so much of a butthead after all.<br>Of course she had been wrong.

"Fine." Helen had trouble controlling her tone; the snarl in her voice _was_ audible.  
>'Oh, so much fun….indeed.'<p>

A short window on the screen before her prompted the user to type in a username and a password.

'Huh…oh, yeah…the computer.' The Junior Detective fumbled in the pockets of her pants for a second. A thin strip of paper held the information she needed. Larry Newman, the goldfish receptionist, had given it to her this morning with the advice to change the password once she had logged in.

Right now it was a randomly generated, jumbled mess of numbers and letters.

'I'll definitely change this…later.' The piece of paper disappeared into her pocket again.

She typed and hit enter, then cringed at the light blue background and the interface's outdated look.

'And I'll also change this…later. But for now…'

The desktop was almost empty and so she found the application she needed pretty fast. Helen let the cursor hover over the browser icon and double-clicked. The outdated look of the computers interface was deceiving.

The window popped up immediately and Helen was only able to finish typing when the office door opened.

Sebastian had come back from his short absence. The slightly pleased look on his face turned into a more than slightly displeased look when he noticed that both inhabitants of the office glared daggers at him.  
>He was used to Ruvik's stare. What really concerned him right now was the look Helen gave him. It ranged from everything between 'Where did you go to and why?' to 'People will die if you dare leave me again…'.<p>

Well, as bad of an idea leaving these two alone could have been, what he had brought with him should be good enough to lift her spirits again.

"I was at the lab just now." Expectant looks from both of them washed over him. "They're not done with the sample and the clothes yet…but I got this."  
>The man walked closer and threw a photo on the woman's desk. It showed a wrinkled piece of plastic. "The officers we left at the crime scene found this a while after we left. Take a closer look at it." He nodded at the albino, who in turn stood up and inspected the picture.<p>

"A blister package."

"They found it near an under passageway at the station. Her fingerprints are all over it. And ones of another person we have yet to identify. Male, most likely white. Five feet, nine inches. That's all we know for now." He tossed a CD on the table. "Security cameras. We don't know what happened in that passageway, but we can assume from the time they both came and left that they most likely met there to make a deal."

"So you got the guy on camera? Shouldn't take long to close the case then." The redhead leaned back and crossed her arms. 'Easy. Boring.'

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, Saul. His fingerprints don't match any of our records. There's still some work to do."  
>'But still – it seems as if this is just a normal drug case after all…or not?' Castellanos looked at the albino. He seemed to be in deep thought, still staring at the image on the desk.<br>"What do you think?" He asked him now.  
>A pale finger tipped on the Polaroid. "This looks familiar, doesn't it?"<p>

Both detectives bent closer to take another look at the picture. The plastic was wrinkled and dirty. The foil that had covered it and kept the capsules it had contained safe was now torn and ripped off in most places. A word repeated on the aluminum over and over again. It was barely readable in most cases but the albino's finger rested under the one that was almost completely intact.

'LIGHT'

Helen tilted her head. "Ok…so? Whatever it was - it's called 'LIGHT', ok. Do we know that this is the one she dropped?"

"Yeah, we got that on camera as well…" The older detective murmured while his eyes fixed on the photo. It could have been a misprint. Or rubbed off, or washed off by the rain…

'Or it's intended to look like that.'  
>He forced himself to look into Ruvik's face. A bitter smile curled around the man's lips.<br>'He's thinking the same…'

The T was incomplete. The horizontal line was cut off halfway. Both of them knew what it resembled.  
>It could be a misprint.<p>

Or it was proof of Mobius being behind all this.

"Haah- ok, so we know she got it from some bloke near the station. Anything else?" Looking at them both being so hypnotized by that picture made Helen a little nervous. Was there something about it she missed? Ok, sure, the name of the drug was new, but the name alone couldn't be so important, couldn't it? They could have named it 'Sweet Dreams', 'Mega-Ecstasy' or 'Superdupermegauber-Kills-Upon-Consumption-Pill' for all she cared.  
>It was still a drug, right?<p>

And a pretty dangerous one at that.

"Uh, yes, one more thing, and also the next thing we have to check." Sebastian could barely tear his eyes from the blister package. "I took a look at her stuff while I was at the lab and the girl must have been partying the night before she died. Her clothing suggested it…her make up too, when we found her."

"Her insides were reeking of alcohol." The young man added.

'The stamp! I was right!' Helen gave herself an imaginary pat on the shoulder.

"Dr Kugel found a stamp on her hand."

Sebastian had said it. And before her. "It's from a popular nightclub in town. As long as we don't know who this dealer is, we should try to find out how he got his clients. As most of the victims were young, it is quite possible that they also frequented this club."

"And if they share this connection it might lead to the root of all this trouble." Helen added with slight frustration. This was her lead. She had seen it first. Not fair.

"Exactly. We will go there and look for more information."

"What is the name of this nightclub?" Sebastian looked at Ruvik, who had just asked this question.

Helen scrolled through the results of her online search. Her mouth silently formed the name of the nightclub as Sebastian enunciated it.

"Iscariot."


	6. Chapter 5: ISCARIOT

**Sorry again for late updates! And sorry for all the typos and weird sentences in this one, I am not sure what is wrong with me, really. This chapter is friggin long, apologies! I kept going over this one, changing stuff, deleting stuff, adding stuff- and in the end I was only confusing myself. Well, tell me if its utter crap and I'll make sure to try and do better for the next one~ Welps, enjoy!**

"You got your ID with you?"

"Yes."

"Good. I bet they'll ask for it."

'28, my ass.' The young detective rolled her eyes and tugged at the hem of her short black dress for the, what seemed to be, 400th time. Wearing 'sexy' clothes like this made her feel uncomfortable. At least when out in the open. Back in the hotel room it had looked fine, perfect even, but right now in front of the nightclub and amidst dozens of other people Helen couldn't help but feel as if she was being stared at.  
>'At this rate I'll be busier checking out my own butt than the people in the club.'<br>She looked up at the bright neon sign above them. It stood in clashing contrast to the exterior of the building.  
>A gothic church with high arched windows and gates. Sharp edges and countless towers of varying sizes decorated the façade together with menacingly looking gargoyles. Pulsating light broke through the richly ornamented stained glass windows. They were of the same color as the neon sign, that formed the name of the club they were about to enter.<p>

ISCARIOT.

The nightclub's name was shining down on the waiting crowd and bathed them in bright scarlet light.

Helen looked down and to her partner again. Leslie was dressed in a simple white button up shirt and a pair of black pants. A little too formal for a visit at this kind of place maybe, but Helen didn't mind. His attire was much more pleasing to look at than the usual ripped skinny jeans and loose muscle shirts youth around here deemed fashionable. No matter how she looked at it, the albino was surrounded by an air of superiority…no, dignity, maybe?  
>'Must be his unicorn status. Or his elven prince fairy dust flair.' She thought to herself. 'I just hope we fit in well enough to stay undetected. Oh Sebastian…what were you thinking?'<p>

It was just the two of them tonight. Well, actually not. Sebastian was listening in on everything they said via a small hidden device clipped to Helen's ear.  
>A slightly crackling static sound now and then reminded her of its presence.<p>

"You know, now that we're here, I _do_ see a few guys your age. Why don't you join us and play the sugar daddy for a while?" , she said.

More static. Then the Detective answered. "I am fine right where I am. Also, it's easier to stay ahead of the situation if one of us stays outside for backup."

"Yeah, whatever…" She huffed. Going into this incognito seemed like something cops in a cheesy Hollywood movie would do. Talking to the supervisor of the nightclub and asking for the security tapes would be the proper routine. _This_ was cheesy, yes.

"Oh, and Helen?"

"Yes?"

"Keep an eye on Leslie, make sure he won't go solo on anything, ok?"

"Roger that." Another click and the transmission were over.  
>Hollywood cheesy with a hint of exciting.<br>'I am undercover detective on a secret mission.'  
>Helen straightened her back and inhaled deeply. 'Sounds good enough to me.'<br>She took another look at the young man by her side. He was quietly observing their surroundings. Disgust clearly visible plastered all over his face.  
>"I see you <em>marvel<em> at Krimson Cities aspiring youth."  
>The redhead tugged on her dress again. Was this thing even covering anything?<p>

"I fail to see what seems so aspiring about these."  
>Ruvik watched a guy who was obviously enjoying the attention of two young girls. Both dressed all too revealing and both, also obviously, making a game out of 'exciting' the young man, to pass the time.<br>He tore his stare away from the scene and faced the female detective.  
>"Simple minds driven by nothing more than their most primitive instincts. Shameless in their pursuit of whatever may sate their desires. A fitting prefiguration for the common depiction of the human homunculi. Eat, sleep, mate." The bitterness in his tone was laden with contempt… and something Helen couldn't quite make out.<br>His remark was underlined by a kissing couple that entered the club before them, tongues dancing deep in each other's mouth. It was a wonder they were able to walk straight.  
>"Don't blame them, they are young and slaves to their hormones."<br>They climbed the stairs to the heavy iron and wooden doors. Warm, stale and perfume-heavy air escaped the closing gates before them.  
>The suit at the entrance motioned for them to come closer and after a few seconds he let them pass through. A girl beside the doors grabbed their hands one after the other and stamped the clubs logo on them. A crescent moon, three X's and in scarlet letters the name ISCARIOT. An almost perfect replica of the one Helen had seen on Sally's hand.<br>Then they finally entered.

The music was deafening.  
>Loud vocals and hectic rhythms echoed from every corner of the far stretched hall. The sound reverberated from the high arches above them and through the cold marble floor under their feet. Ruvik could feel the vibrations climb up his legs and into his abdomen.<br>He could smell and taste the cheap perfume and sweat of countless people in the air.  
>All around them, shadows, figures. Dancing, coiling, winding. Flickering and blinding strobe lights distorted the movements of people into a spastic mess.<p>

Before he knew it he was lost in an ocean of strangers.  
>Strangers hands and strangers touches surrounded him. He felt as if he was drowning, panic slowly rising in the pit of his stomach when a familiar voice reached his ear and a familiar hand pulled him away and out of the masses.<p>

"It's too full!" The female detective shouted over the music, her voice barely audible, but still…

For the first time since they met Ruvik was relieved to see the flash of red hair in front of him. A life belt in this sea of alien people.

He grabbed onto her arm himself and let her lead him to one of the bars. Her skin was still cold from outside but soft to the touch. He was reluctant to admit it – being able to hold onto someone he knew gave him a feeling of comfort he hadn't experienced in decades.

"There we go." She sat down on one of the, to his surprise, empty barstools and motioned for him to do the same. "I haven't been to one of these in years…I forgot how crowded they usually are." Ruvik watched her wave at the bartender and felt himself calm down. The volume of the music was still ringing in his ears and the air wasn't better over here at all but he slowly got used to it. The dancing masses were in their back and he avoided turning around to look at them.

"I can't believe they didn't ask for your ID at all! …guess they let everyone in as long as they get paid." She handed a few dollar bills over the counter and yelled something into the ear of the man serving them. The man said something to her in return and winked at her which made her blush slightly. Obviously some flirtatious nonsense he whispered into every woman's ear.

The junior detective turned to the albino and smiled. "I will have to keep an eye on you."

"I can look after myself."

"Well, you looked pretty much like a lost puppy just a minute ago."

He was about to counter her argument when the barkeeper put a glass with a sickly yellow liquid in front of him. Another glass with the same contents stood before Helen.

"We are not drinking." He stated calmly. Did she believe they had come here for entertainment purposes? He shoved the beverage away from him and looked at her accusingly.

White noise. Crackling.

"Helen, you're both on duty. No drinks and no dancing. I want you to keep a clear head and see if you can find out something in there." Sebastian made himself heard.

The female detective grunted and shoved the drink back into her partner's direction.  
>"I am surprised you even heard what he said."<br>The albino still looked at her irritated, albeit now a bit confused too. Of course. He wasn't able to hear the male detectives input on their conversation. Why was she the only one with a device in her ear again? Oh, right, because her hair was covering her ears if she didn't pull it back.

She pointed at her ear in an attempt to remind him that she was talking to their partner outside the club at this moment. The question marks on his face vanished after a second of thinking and he silently nodded. Alright.

"I did not forget why we are here and—" she put more emphasis on the next words to get the attention of both men in her team, " I ordered energy drinks. No alcohol."

"Fine. Don't forget to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, ok?"

"Ok."

Static, then silence, again.

Ruvik took the drink into his hands and inspected it more closely now. The liquid was clear apart from the unappealing color. And it emitted a sweet scent so intense and artificial that he involuntarily scrunched up his nose when he smelled it.

"You look like I am forcing you to drink poison." Helen laughed. "Come on, you're a guy, don't tell me you never had an energy drink before!"

"It might as well be poison…"

"I know, I know. Smells horrible, tastes horrible. But it will keep us awake for the time being. So…cheers?"

She held up her glass and looked at him, waiting.  
>'We better find something soon. I am not doing this for nothing…' He took a sip from the drink and instantly regretted it. Artificially, sickly sweet.<br>He grimaced and put the glass down with no intentions to ever touch it again.  
>Why did he keep playing into this woman's idiotic actions? Ruvik scolded himself for it and focused on their original reason to come here again. Gather information about the victim's social network; find out how she got into contact with whoever provided access to 'LIGHT'.<p>

"We should start looking now."

"Ok." They turned around and observed the crowd on the dancefloor and near the bar. "Look for people in their early twenties, he said. It'll be a piece of cake, he said" the redhead mimicked their older partner. She was right, though. The ISCARIOT was packed and loaded with young adults around Sally's age. Looking for people that might had known or hung around with her at the club before was as likely as finding a needle in a stack of hay.  
>"I'd say 'screw this' but I guess now that we're here we should try anyways…" she said defeated.<p>

"Tag along." Helen downed the rest of her energy drink and got off her seat. 'I hope he can deal with the awkwardness….ah, who am I kidding he IS awkwardness.' She mentally prepared herself for a long night of randomly butting into conversations, talking obnoxiously loud about Sally, about waiting for Sally, about thinking about Sally and in general….Sally. All for the sake of maybe, hopefully, eventually catching the attention of someone who actually knew the girl they only pretended to know.

The girl's mother hadn't been too helpful. She had identified the girl and given her consent for the autopsy but that had been pretty much all she had done. She hadn't known about her daughters drug addiction, or at least pretended to hadn't known about, and she '_sure as hell didn't know'_ what kind of people her little girl had been friends with.

This could have been easy….but it wasn't.

They had been asking around in the club for Sally, if someone had seen her or anything, for an hour or two now. All the while Helen had not let go of Leslie's hand. Remembering the look on his face when their gaze met after he got lost at the start of that night, she thought he wouldn't mind. The young man had been quiet while they went from corner to corner, not saying much, and if he did, only short answers or a few words here and there.

Ruvik hated every minute of this.  
>Squeezing through the narrow openings between people and trying to communicate with complete strangers, simpletons, drunken people and being stared at by so many eyes.<p>

He held onto the hand of the one person he knew and tried to keep his calm in the midst of the sweating, chattering masses the woman forced him to endure.  
>'It will pay off. We will find something. We simply have to.'<br>He kept reminding himself that he did this for a reason, still everything inside him was rebelling against this torture and his eyes fixed onto their hands. He hadn't even noticed how firm his grip on her hand had been all this time but he saw the white areas around where his fingers pressed against her flesh. He loosened his grip a bit, tempted to let go of her completely.  
>'I don't need her. The safety I feel from her hand is nothing but a mere illusion created by my own discomfort at the current situation. In other circumstances I would never…'<p>

Ruvik almost ran into Helen when she suddenly stopped.

"Ugh, do you need to go?" she asked him.  
>They stood before the restrooms, small signs on each door marked which one was for 'ladies' and which one was for 'gents'.<p>

"No."

"Well, I have to go. Wait for me here, ok?" She let go of his hand and disappeared behind one of the doors, leaving him alone.

The restroom was clean and brightly lit. Huge mirrors above the faucets hung in golden frames and showed the female detective her own image as she approached them.  
>"I look tired as hell…"<br>She stared at her reflection for a few seconds and then turned on the water. A few splashes to her face would be nice…if it wasn't for the make-up she was wearing. Her palm was sweaty. The fingers on the same hand had become warm. She touched her cheek with one hand. Then with the other.

First warm, then cold.

'His hands are really warm. He doesn't like being here…that's for sure. I should hurry up and get done with this.' Helen washed her hands and then turned to enter one of the vacant stalls behind her.  
>She had just locked and made herself as comfortable as possible when someone in the stall right next to her whispered "You're the one goin' around askin' for Sally…?"<p>

'What the hell….'

"A-Are you?"

"Uh….I guess…?" Was someone in the stall right next to hers? _No, wrong question._ Had someone been in the stall right next to hers all this time? And had she unknowingly entered just the right stall to set this conversation, **weird conversation by the way**, in motion?  
>'Cheesy Hollywood movie…WITH EXCITEMENT!'<p>

"Y- You're a cop, aren't ya?"

"Uh…" 'There goes the undercover action….and worst of all…I can't pee like this.'  
>"Ok, I don't know who you are but I—"<p>

The voice interrupted her. "I knew Sally is all you need to know, k?"

Helen kept quiet.

"It's not my fault, k? I only dared her to call the number, because…well I knew people went missing and stuff but…Fuck, I didn't know she would call it for reals. We JOKED about it, k?!" Sobbing came from the other side of the thin wall between the stalls.

"Uhm, alright, uh…first of all… I need you to calm down…" Helen struggled to find the right words. "What kind of number are you talking about?"

"He took Sally, I just know it…just like he took all of my…so much for fixing…!" More crying.

"He who?" Helen was getting more and more uncomfortable. All of this wouldn't have been so weird if she wouldn't be sitting on the toilet this very moment. 'Fixing, what?'

"Are you blind? It's right in front of you! YOU HAVE TO GET HIM!" The stall door beside hers was thrown open and crashed violently against her own before someone rushed out of the restroom.

"Wait!" Helen scrambled up on her feet, trying to pull up her slip and open the stall door at the same time. Unsuccessfully. Mumbling profanities under her breath she took the time to arrange her clothes and stared at the wooden surface. Only one graffiti sullied it.

**_Need some LIGHT on your darkened Path?  
>Let me Fixx you—<em>**

Followed by a number. 'The answer is right in front of me?' Helen pulled out her cellphone and took a photo before she stumbled out of the stall and ran out of the restroom as well.

"LESLIE, DID YOU—"

The albino was nowhere to be seen.

'Great. Going solo? Frick…' She turned around to look for her partner and caught a glimpse of white hair vanishing through a door that said **Staff only**. 'Oh no, you won't….'

"Sebastian, did you hear that?"

"All of it. You lost her?"

"Yeah, sorry, and not only her….but I have a number to show from it. That's one thing."  
>She made her way to the door Leslie had slipped through.<p>

"Alright, I'll be watching the entrance, any visuals to go by?"

"No, nothing. I guess she's wearing high heels….but that fits for almost every woman in here. She was crying, if that helps."

"It might."

The staff door was closed and the female detective looked left and right to make sure no one saw her enter before she pushed it open. No long search was needed. The young man was only a few meters away from the door, his forehead resting against the cold brick wall of the dark corridor they were now in.

Helen passed some crates full of empty bottles and stood beside her partner, who was breathing heavily and obviously not doing too well.

"Hey…"  
>She reached out to rub his back but was pushed away roughly. His outstretched hand signaled for her to keep a distance.<p>

"Don't…touch me."

"Ok."

She waited as he just kept breathing.

He smiled to himself, still trying to level his breathing. Years of isolation and little to no human contact had done this to him. He had known this when he agreed to visiting the night club.  
>Pathetic. Laughable. The moment she had let go of his hand all of the noise, the stench and the rest of those damnable sensations had caved in on him, buried him and threatened to suffocate him.<p>

Trying to wait there hadn't been an option. In search of silence and sweet loneliness he had come here, where she found him.

Ruvik clenched his fists in anger. This weakness…he resented it.

Helen felt sorry. She watched him lean there and remembered how she had promised to keep an eye on him. She had meant it, but failed nonetheless.

After a while Leslie turned around and leaned his back on the wall. He avoided looking at her.

"Are you feeling a little better?"

No answer.

"Well, if you'd be feeling better I would like to tell you…what you missed."

He exhaled, his eyes still closed. "Tell me."

The junior detective gave him a short break down of what had happened in the restroom and showed him the picture she had taken.

"So, what do you think?"

Instead of answering her Leslie simply pulled out another cellphone from his pocket and started dialing the number displayed on the picture.

"Alright let's try out the number…without Sebastian…right now."  
>Her sarcasm did not stop him from what he was doing. The white-haired man was about to start the call when they were suddenly interrupted.<p>

"Hey! You two! This is staff only; get your asses out of here before I call the security!"  
>The barkeeper from earlier this night had spotted them in the corridor. He was putting on his jacket, probably leaving after the end of his shift, Helen thought. She remembered him flirting with her for a second. It had been flattering. Almost enough to make her think about the possibilities…<p>

'Well, screw that, now I am just some bitch that invaded the staff only area…'

Leslie held the phone to his ear.

The barkeeper was coming closer with large steps. He didn't look as friendly anymore.  
>Helen was already tugging on Leslies sleeve, trying to make him move with her. Away from the angry barkeeper and out of the staff area.<p>

Then a cellphone started ringing out of nowhere.

Helen and Leslie stood still.

The barkeeper stopped dead in his tracks.  
>He pulled the small ringing device out of his pocket and answered the phone.<p>

"Hello?"  
><strong><em>"Hello?"<em>**

The answer echoed through the corridor and simultaneously through the small phone in Leslie's hand.

_The answer is right before you._ The woman in the stall surely hadn't known how accurate her words would come to be.

Helens finger shot up and pointed at the man in a 'Look what I found' manner before the words left her lips in a sudden rush of adrenaline.

"STOP! KCPD! You're under arrest!"

Futile. As soon as he heard 'KCPD' the man turned on his heels and was up and running.  
>"Shit!" Helen didn't hesitate for a second and went after him, the small heels of her shoes clacking like gunfire on the concrete floor of the hallway.<p>

'Shit, shit, shit'

She was unarmed and definitely not prepared for pursuing a fleeing suspect. The shoes and the dangerously short dress she was wearing didn't help either. They rounded a corner and another one. The back area of the ISCARIOT soon seemed bigger to Helen than the nightclub itself. The labyrinth like paths were unknown territory to her and the barkeeper undoubtedly intended to use this to his advantage. He kept dodging and turning corners like a rabbit trying to throw her off but she was just an arm length away from him for the longest time.

Then he was suddenly gone.

Helen stopped and listened. His footsteps were gone too. Did he hide somewhere close?  
>She moved slowly, trying to catch her breath as she looked for ways to discern her own whereabouts.<p>

'I am lost…'

Right and left looked the same as front and back. "I think I lost him…I am—"

A faint clicking sound to her right made her spin around. The door to what appeared to be the basement had just closed. By itself? Helen doubted this.

"Hold on, Sebastian…"

Static. "Helen…" White noise. "…tell me where you are!" Crackling.

"I have no clue where but I am about to enter the basement." She opened the door and peeked down into the darkness that waited at the end of a flight of stairs behind it.

She descended carefully. The noise in her ear was pure static now, probably because the transmitter wasn't reaching this far into the building or down under it. Seb was probably yelling at her to stay out of this and wait for him. She didn't care. Her eyes were fixed onto a spot in the darkness. Eyes open wide, trying to catch more light, she ventured forth.

A stupid idea, sure, but Helen was determined to get this guy- even if it meant crawling into the void that was the ISCARIOT's basement.

It was cold down here. The thin layer of sweat on her skin made her shiver. Had there been light, the female detective was sure she would have been able to see her own breath…and some nice black lace. She tugged on her dress. The thin fabric had slipped way up while she had been running and she praised all heavens that no one had seen her like this. As it was, she was left alone in pitch black darkness.

Trying to be a quiet as possible, she kept close to the wall, a hand slowly crawling over cracks and gaps in the brick mural while she held her breath, listening intently.

There! Where those footsteps? Helen halted and perked her ears.  
>A sheathing noise, something was moving, but she was unable to make out from where the noise came.<p>

Then, out of nowhere, something smashed with full force against the wall only inches away from her head. The sound of shattering glass and the sensation of cold fluid pouring over her.

Helen sunk to a crouching position, eyes shut tight, her face buried in the crook of her elbow.

"Don't you move an inch, bitch." The voice that had been whispering sweet nothing into her ear only a few hours ago now hissed at her.

The redhead felt tears welling up in her eyes. This had been a stupid idea. She had been an idiot for following him down here and now she was going to pay the price for it.

Or was she…?

His footsteps came a little closer, then he ran across the room and further away from her cowering figure. The sound of shoes on metal filled the room before a door was pushed open only meters away from her. The bright rectangle of light illuminated the cellar for a split second and revealed another flight of stairs at the other side of the basement. Helen saw it, the afterimage on her retina was still glowing brightly as she sniffed and stood up again.

'No need for tears yet…' she carefully continued to walk again, shards of glass crunched under the soles of her shoes. That bastard had thrown a bottle of wine at her. Good thing he missed. She was soaking wet with the spirited drink but she was unharmed.

Her knees were pudding after the whole ordeal and she sighed a sigh of relief when she reached the steps and finally the door that led outside.

Cold air hit her face when she opened the door and peeked out of it cautiously.

"Sebastian?" Helen put a hand on her ear. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing. Then the device made its usual sounds and Castellanos answered her. She could literally hear him ruffle his hair, could hear how alleviated he was.  
>"Saul, whatever you did, never do it again."<br>"I'll think about it. Ah, about the guy…he got away after all."  
>"Forget him; we know his workplace and his face. Should be enough to get him sooner or later. Where are you?"<br>"Actually, I have no clue."

"You are at the back entrance of the club. The only one."

Leslie had walked up to her while she talked. He hadn't followed her so he must have walked around the building. Did he take so long to get here? Or had she been down there less long than what it had felt like to her?

"I'll pick you up." The voice came from the small microphone Helen carried with her. Sebastian either had an abnormally good ear or this microphone was hella sensitive. Maybe it wasn't as bad that she hadn't been able to finish her…_business_ yet as she thought originally.

"Alright, we'll be waiting." Helen took it out of her ear. She wouldn't need it anymore.

Not tonight. The redhead sat down on the sidewalk and stretched her legs out. She looked up to Leslie. The albino was watching the pale moon.


End file.
